The Sheik's Treasure
by I'mPrinceHarrysGrl
Summary: Frank, Jarista(his potential love in the movie) and Frank's six friends go after the treasure: and realize that it's not the treasure they enjoy so much...but the journey.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, except for of course, my six awesome characters that are not for your use! :-)

"And before we climbed the mountain...."

"We swam the river....."

"Drowned in, rather......"

"And before the river...."

"We ran from the vagrants......."

"And fought the vagrants......."

Frank Hopkins, known as the best mustang-rider in the world, laughed. His six friends were back...cloaked in their usual attire, and with their usual painted grins. He had called them all together, again, to help him win something of importance. He had missed seeing all their faces, and noticing that they were all present and speaking of their journey, he started to walk around the tent. Continuing to smile, he put his arm around his fiancé, Jazira's, shoulders, and lead her around the group, introducing her to his friends and their best qualitites.

"This," he said, putting his hand on the first Arab's shoulder, "Is Likerbein." Jazira nodded her greeting shyly. "Likerbein is known for his handiwork. He can fix anything with the sand from the desert, sun, and his hands."

Likerben laughed.

"Do not forget water, my friend. Nothing can be done without water...."

Frank shook Likerbein's hand.

"You will know me always from the silver scarf on my head," said Likerbein, taking Zuleika's hand. "It protects my fair skin from the sun."

Now it was Jazira's turn to laugh, as she watched him untie the scarf covering his face. He had a handsome nose, dark skin covered in spots from the sun, dark eyes that were almost like shadows themselves, and a cracked-lip smile.

"I will remember your fair skin by itself," whispered Jazira as Frank moved her on to introduce her to his next friend.

"This is..."

"........Dorian," said a woman's voice. "Hello. So nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you. About you and Frank's wonderful adventure. How he gave his horse up for you. How he came back and asked you to marry him. How he....."

"Thank you, Dorian," interrupted Frank, "We know the story."

Dorian smiled and nodded, blushing.

Jazira gave the woman a good up and down look. She was curvy and robust, with a kind, fair face, long golden hair, and brightly colored clothes. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, and they laughed continuously.

"Dorian," said Frank, "Is the cultural expert......"

"And the, uh, the persuader, shall we say," said Dorian, cupping her face, blushing deeper and laughing again. Frank kissed her on the cheek and quickly moved Jazira on.

"What did she mean by persuader?" she asked Frank in a low voice.

"Hopefully, you won't have to find out....."replied Frank, vaguely.

"This next rogue is Boldevier."

"Better known as Mercutio, the joker, the cmico, the schauspieler, the...."

"Can you tell that all my friends never know when to stop talking?" asked Frank.

Boldevier took Jazira's hand and put it to his lips. "And can you tell that Frank is not one for sweet words?"

Frank rolled his eyes.

"I am in charge of the word-play, dear lady. French, German, Arabic, Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Swedish are my specialties...and believe me, I can joke in even more languages. You may remember me by this phrase. _Leben Sie gefhrlich oder berhaupt nicht._. It means, live dangerously or not at all."

"I will remember," answered Jazira.

Frank pushed her on.

"Next, is Mud. Just Mud, no other name."

Mud nodded and swept his eyes to the ground.

"Mud, unlike the others, is not much for words. He is the gambler and racer."

"Racer?" asked Jazira as she watched this Mud character. Before he had lowered his eyes she had been taken aback by their green intensity. He had had an incredibly handsome face that was dark and serious. He had been smiling, but only slightly: as if shocked that anything in this world could be worth laughing for.

"He races horses faster than any man I have ever seen."

"Not faster than you, dear friend," said Mud, looking up, finally.

"Do not be fooled," said Frank. "Mud is in better physical condition than any man on Earth. He can run faster than the fastest Arab, he can swim faster than the fastest Englishman. He is not one to be deceived by."

Jazira smiled and moved on.

This next person made Frank smile the biggest.

"This is Adrianne," said Frank, pulling back a black scarf that had been covering the woman's face. Adrianne smiled; a gesture that made her bright white teeth shine out from under her incredibly dark skin. Her eyes were blue and deep: intense like Mud's.

"Mud's sister," said Frank, seeing Jazira notice the resemblance.

"Hello," said Adrianne with a pleasant civility.

"Adrianne is our poison flower," said Frank, "Meaning, she is not as sweet as she looks."

And sweet she did look. Like Dorian, she was curvy and well-fed, but not nearly as tall and with a more innocent look to her face. She had high cheekbones, and black hair that waved down her back.

"I was originally a scout," said Adrianne. "For the sheik. But I was fired for..." she laughed, "Unruly conduct."

Frank laughed too, kissed her cheek and moved on to his sixth and final friend.

"Diedan!" Frank gave his last friend a hug.

"Diedan," said Jazira, also giving him a hug. She had known Diedan for a long time, and was glad to see that this seven foot, lanky, fair-haired, and dark-skinned boy had not changed. He was happy, she could tell, even though Frank had broken his heart by leaving his Tribe and returning to the sheik's kingdom.

"We have missed you," said Frank, taking his friend's hand in his.

"And I have missed you," answered Diedan.

When all the introductions had been done, Frank took his fiancé by the hand and lead her to middle of the tent where all the guests were staying.

"Although your long trip is over for the day," yelled Frank, over the voices and the laugher, "I am afraid that our journey has just begun." The friends immediately fell silent. They were in love with journeys.

"Before I may marry the love of my life," said Frank, more quietly. "It is custom, in this kingdom, for the future husband to give a gift. A gift of such proportion and magnanimity, that it matches his wife's beauty. I know of the perfect gift. But to get it.....we will need you're help."

The friends sat down, and prepared to get comfortable. There was a long explanation ahead.


	2. Pegasus

"And what of Hildalgo," asked Diedan, after the others had gone to bed. He and Frank were sitting on the floor, sipping mint tea that the servant's had provided for them.

"I had to let him go," said Frank sadly, putting his glass down on the beautifully decorated table before him.

Diedan nodded. He always understood those things.

"It was a smart choice, my friend," he said. "Hidalgo was exceptional. I am sure he will come back to thank you one day."

Frank did not respond. He was almost positive that he would never see his old horse again.

"And this treasure you are seeking," continued the fair-haired boy. "Is it worth all the perils you will be facing?"

"Yes," said Frank with a sure voice. "What is adventure but...."

"Life-harrowing? Deadly? An almost surefire way to make your girl become a widow before she even marries?"

Frank and Diedan laughed.

"She is coming along. If anyone is to be a widow, it will be me," answered Frank.

The friends toasted each other, and continued to drink, each dreaming of treasure, adventure, and death.

The next morning rose with a much deserved rain. As Frank looked out of the flap of his tent, he saw the people of the kingdom running out of their stucco homes with baskets to catch the water.

"Although I love the rain," said Dorian, coming up behind Frank, "I do believe this will hinder our traveling."

Frank laughed and turned around.

Today Dorian was wearing bright rouge and an all-beige dress.

"You don't look fit to travel anyway, ma'am," said Frank.

"You'd be surprised," replied Dorian, "What a woman is capable of....."

Frank laughed again and went around to rouse his other friends.

He soon found Jazira running around the campsite, trying to collect what she saw fit to bring on the journey.

"I hate this weather," she said in Arabic, giving Frank a kiss. "But there is something I must show you... in the stables."

In wonder and awe, Frank followed Jazira to the stables.

Grazing in the middle of a stable and dripping wet was a purebred mare. Completely white and shining, the horse looked up as the two entered.

"Her name is Pegasus," continued Jazira, still speaking in Arabic, "Your friends bought her for you. In remembrance of Hidalgo. They named her for her speed....they explained to me the Roman story."

Frank slowly walked towards his new horse, and wiped away a tear.


	3. The Race

The journey was about to begin, and everyone was dripping with the rain.

"What a wonderful way to start the journey," commented Boldevier, "And we all know the rain won't stop for days. It is that time of the season...."

"Yes, yes, but that's not going to stop us is it?" asked Dorian. "I mean, if we can't take a bit of rain, then we jolly well can't take _anything_.."

"I agree with Dorian," Adrianne said in a small voice.

Frank, who had just finished packing Pegasus, sighed.

"The rain is a nuisance, but there's nothing we can do about it. If Jazira and I are to ever be married, then we must start off today. Where's my navigator?"

"At your service captain," yelled Diedan from across path. He was dressed in a ridiculous gray poncho, loaned to him by Dorian who had gotten it on her last trip to America. To Frank, he looked like a stork losing all it's feathers.

"We're ready...." Frank mounted Pegasus, and waited as Jazira and the others found their horses as well.

"Ready....."

"Ready....."

"Ready...."

"Good God, can't we just...."

"Ready....."

"Let's get out of here...."

And they were off.

Riding at a trot for about two hours with the heavy droplets of rain soaking through every piece of garment they owned, the travelers were becoming less and less happy.

"I do declare, I would have brought something a bit more suitable if I knew we were destined for such bad weather..." complained Dorian, who was having a terrible time of keeping her saddle from sliding off her fat horse.

"Maybe you wouldn't have worn such a see-through dress, there either, eh?" teased Likerbein.

Frank was wet and cold, and doubted almost certainly that even if they did find a place to settle down, they would be feeling better.

"Let's have a race," said Mud, who was traveling last in the line, "Maybe it would take our minds off of all this...slush."

For that was what the sand had turned into. Mounds of slush. Like anthills drowned in water from a child's bucket.

"Yes, a race, then," answered Adrianne, who never passed up a chance to try and beat her brother at something.

Frank stopped and watched as his friends and fiancé made themselves into a horizontal line.

"Frank are you not joining us?" asked Likerbein, ready to beat Hopkins at his own game.

"I suppose I must, considering you pack of fools wouldn't be able to get 'long without me."

He added himself to the line.

Boldevier started the countdown. "On your mark, get set....." and he shot off, three paces in front of everyone. Frank laughed, shook his head, and started off. The race had begun.


	4. Dangerous Sands

"You even cheated...and still, my friend, you couldn't win."

Boldevier bowed-his arms stretched out in front of him, his robe clinging to his forearms from rain and sweat.

"I gave my position of first place up, so as not to disgrace Mud, the racer," Boldevier whispered to Jazira.

She laughed, wiping the rain off of his face.

"Where is Frank?" she asked. She had not seen him since after the race, when the travelers were forced to seek shelter in caves: the rain was coming down in sheets now, the visibility was less than 2 feet.

"I have not seen him, miss," Boldevier answered. He left to go sling mud at Dorian, who was fussing with her drenched straw cap, now a darker brown than mahogany.

Jazira, though, was a bit worried and she mingled among the new friends she had made.

"Don't worry," Adrianne caught Jazira by the arm. "Frank is probably worrying over the horses. You know the man well, I presume. He is such a one that would never leave the horses unattended." Jazira nodded, and sat down on a slab of rock, bunching her robes around her feet.

She watched the entrance of the cave intently, and listened as Mud and Likerbein took out tools for serving supper.

"And then there were eight...." Diedan said, pointing to the right side. Frank Hopkins was walking nonchalantly, pulling his bandana off of his neck.

Jazira ran to him and threw her arms around his shoulders. Frank in his shy way, was surprised.

"I know, It's been a whole ten minutes..." he said. Jazira laughed. Relief washed over her.

"Well you were right," said Frank. He and Diedan were sitting around a fire that Likerbein had made. "The whole Arvara Valley has flooded over."

"And so will this cave, soon," answered Diedan.

Water leaked from the cracks in the ceiling and ran along the walls like racing spiders.

"I worry that our horses will sink."

"As do I."

"We must leave them then?" asked Diedan.

Frank sighed. "Can't. They'd die quicker being left alone. I can't let them stay. We have to take 'em with us."

Although Diedan disagreed with Frank's decision, he understood his friend's love of horses, and knew he would not be able to sway his conclusion.

The next morning the friends each mounted their horses (Dorian with some difficulty) and rode through the driving bullets of new rain. The sand underneath the hooves of Pegasus was thick and sludgy, it stayed in clumps and every now and again the travelers had to stop to clean the hooves of their animals.

"This is going to take awhile," yelled Likerbein to Frank, "Should we not just wait for the rain to end?"

"No! It would takes months for the season to be over. I cannot wait that long." Frank threw a loving glance at his fiancé. It was doubtful she saw it. The rain created a grey monstrous wall.

Frank mounted his horse again and continued on.

Suddenly, Frank heard a shriek from in front of him.

"Stop the horses! Stop the horses!" Mud yelled. His voice was strong and deep, it was not like him to get frightened. "Adrianne!"

Frank jumped off Pegasus, and rushed to where Mud had been yelling.

Mud was holding on to his sister's hand, pulling at her with all his might. Her waist was halfway sunk into the sand, her muscular arms were straining with her brother's.

"No! Let her go," Likerbein jumped in the middle of the two, tearing Mud's arms from Adrianne.

"The more you struggle, the farther under you will go."

Likerbein stopped and pulled something from his robe pocket.

It was long in shape and wooden. A piece of....Frank strained harder to see...driftwood.

"Stand back," he said to everyone around.

He fell onto his knees where Adrianne was sinking and drew a big hole in the muck before him. The whole soon filled with water, and when it did so, Likerbein dug another one. This time it was closer to Adrianne. When this had filled with water, he connected the two holes and watched as the pit Adrianne was sitting in created its own hole, and filled with water.

"Swim!" Likerbein yelled, and Adrianne took a step out of the watered hole onto dry land. Mud helped pull her up, and he hugged her when she had made it safe.

"We leave the horses," he said to Frank as he passed by, leading Adrianne to his own pack animal. "Her's never had a chance in that pit."

Frank's stomach dropped. Pegasus had to be left behind.


End file.
